Hardrock Mining Reform a Tough Sell Despite Activist Outcry

Efforts by President Obama to overhaul federal oversight of the hardrock mining industry may fall short despite bipartisan agreement that some reforms are overdue. The president's budget blueprint would enact a new fee on hardrock mineral production to help pay for reclamation of abandoned hardrock mines. It also requires royalties from companies mining certain minerals, including gold, copper, lead and uranium. Obama's proposal is a nod to environmentalists and other advocates who say the 1872 General Mining Act is in desperate need of an overhaul. Nathan Newcomer, associate director at the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, said the law "was designed to encourage Americans to go West and prosper." "This perhaps made sense in 1872, but in 2011 it is simply irresponsible," read a recent New York Times editorial blasting congressional inaction on reforming the law...more